Late De Ro goal lifts Dynamo over San Fran

Second-half substitute Dwayne De Rosario rescued the Houston Dynamo with a 25-yard rocket in the 88th minute to lift the Houston Dynamo to a dramatic 2-1 win over Panamanian champion San Francisco F.C. Tuesday night, their seventh consecutive home win.

The Dynamo moved into a first-place tie in Group B with Mexican club Pumas UNAM; both teams have five points with a 1-0-2 record. San Francisco F.C. dropped to 0-2-2. Pumas UNAM and Luis Angel Firpo meet on Thursday night in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Dynamo host Pumas on October 22.

Dynamo forward Chris Wondolowski opened the scoring in the 13th minute, heading in a cross from midfielder Corey Ashe. It was Wondolowski’s second goal of the season (the first came in CONCACAF Champions Cup play against CSD Municipal on March 19) and sixth of his three-year career with the Dynamo (in 48 games, 15 starts). Ashe now has one goal and three assists in 15 international games with the Dynamo over the last two seasons.

San Francisco F.C. tied the match just after halftime when Temistocles Perez latched onto a long ball and chipped Dynamo goalkeeper Tony Caig from 35 yards away.

Dwayne De Rosario entered in the 78th minute and decided the game 10 minutes later, stealing the ball in the midfield, stepping up to the top of the box, and blasting a 25-yard shot into the right side of the net. It was De Rosario’s fifth goal in 19 international games for the Dynamo, the most international goals for any Dynamo player.

The Dynamo played in their first home game since September 7; two games since then have been postponed due to Hurricane Ike. The Dynamo have now won seven consecutive home games since a 1-0 loss to Chivas de Guadalajara on July 15. In that stretch, Houston has outscored the opposition 19-6.

Houston defender Mike Chabala made his first career start in a non-U.S. Open Cup match and only his fourth total appearance for Houston, including two Open Cup appearances.